Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHMES14’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘SMHMES14’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; strong and sturdy dark brown-colored stems; early flowering habit; large mophead-type inflorescences with large sterile flowers; sterile flowers dark pink or blue in color depending on aluminum sulfate treatments; and good winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMHMES14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Hydrangea plant, botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMHMES14’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Hydrangea plants with reblooming habit, strong stems and attractive inflorescences.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from an open-pollination during the summer of 2003 of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmer’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,298, as the female, or seed parent with an unknown selection of Hydrangea macrophylla as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. in May, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hydrangea plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since June, 2005 has shown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMHMES14’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMHMES14’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Strong and sturdy dark brown-colored stems.     -   3. Early flowering habit.     -   4. Large mophead-type inflorescences with large sterile flowers.     -   5. Sterile flowers dark pink or blue in color depending on         aluminum sulfate treatments.     -   6. Good winter hardiness.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the female parent, ‘Bailmer’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have stronger, sturdier and         darker-colored stems than plants of ‘Bailmer’.     -   2. Sepals of sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea have         acute apices whereas sepals of sterile flowers of ‘Bailmer’ have         obtuse apices.     -   3. Sepal color of sterile flowers of the new Hydrangea is more         intense and richer than sepal color of sterile flowers of         ‘Bailmer’.     -   4. Plants of the new Hydrangea are more winter hardy than plants         of ‘Bailmer’.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Hydrangea differed primarily from plants of ‘Nikko Blue’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea flowered about three to four         weeks earlier than plants of ‘Nikko Blue’.     -   2. Sepals of sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea had         acute apices whereas sepals of sterile flowers of ‘Nikko Blue’         had obtuse apices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance of the new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Hydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHMES14’ grown without aluminum sulfate treatments.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘SMHMES14’ grown without aluminum sulfate treatments.

The photograph on the third sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMHMES14’ grown with aluminum sulfate treatments.

The photograph on the fourth sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘SMHMES14’ grown with aluminum sulfate treatments.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the summer in three-gallon containers in an outdoor shadehouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. Plants of the new Hydrangea were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea macrophylla ‘SMHMES14’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmer’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,298.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Hydrangea             macrophylla, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures about 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine and thick, fibrous; white and brown             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub;             upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; strong and sturdy lateral branches;             freely branching habit with about nine lateral branches             developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 39 cm.         -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 58 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 4.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Strength: Strong, sturdy. Color, young: Close to 144C.             Color, mature: Close to 165A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 9.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Coarse, pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137D; venation, close to 146B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.5 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers             arranged on large terminal mophead-type cymes that are             roughly spherical; flowers face upright or outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants             flower throughout the summer in Grand Haven, Mich.; flowers             not persistent.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 14             fertile flowers and about 935 sterile flowers per             inflorescence.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 12.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 5 mm.         -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds, fertile flowers.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Flower buds, sterile flowers.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to 160D.         -   Petals, fertile flowers only.—Quantity per flower and             arrangement: Five in a single whorl. Length: About 4 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, without aluminum sulfate: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 66C. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 66D. Color, with             aluminum sulfate: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 95D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 95D.         -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—Quantity per flower and             arrangement: Seven in a single whorl. Length: About 1 mm.             Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Subulate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 60D. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 64D.         -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity per flower and             arrangement: Four in a single whorl. Length: About 1.7 cm.             Width: About 1.5 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Color, without aluminum sulfate: When             opening, upper surface: Close to 154D becoming closer to             66D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 66D. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 66D and 58D.             Color, with aluminum sulfate: When opening, upper surface:             Close to 154D becoming closer to 95C. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 95C to 95D. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 95C to 95D.         -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Angle: About 30° to 50° from             inflorescence axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About             6 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close             to 63C.         -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Angle: About 50° to 70° from             inflorescence axis. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About             1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 63C.         -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About nine. Filament length: About 3 mm. Filament             color: Close to 155D. Anther shape: Round. Anther length:             About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 4D. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Pistil quantity             per flower: About three. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma             shape: Round. Stigma color: Close to 155B. Style length:             About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 66B. Ovary color: Close to             150D.         -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per             flower: About six. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament             color: Close to 62D. Anther shape: Round. Anther length:             About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 155C. Pollen amount:             None observed. Pistils: Pistil quantity per flower: About             two. Pistil length: About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma             color: Close to 84D. Style length: About 0.5 mm. Style             color: Close to 57B.         -   Seeds, fertile flowers only.—Quantity per inflorescence:             Numerous. Size: Less than 0.1 mm by less than 0.1 mm;             dust-like. Color: Brown. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about −27° C. to about     37° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘SMHMES14’ as illustrated and described. 